gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio

King catalogues the collection of engraved gems formed by Colonel William Martin Leake and deposited in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. The collection consists principally of ancient Greek and Roman intaglios and cameos, which King describes according to their materials, engraved subjects, inscriptions, style, and presumed date or cultural attribution. The gems include representations of deities, mythological figures, portraits, animals, symbols, and other classical subjects, and the accompanying plates illustrate selected examples. King comments on workmanship and iconography and uses comparison with other engraved stones to identify and interpret individual pieces. The catalogue provides a concise nineteenth-century record of an important collection of classical glyptic art and documents contemporary methods of classifying and interpreting ancient engraved gems.